Chinese surgeons have successfully performed remote robotic liver surgeries from over 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) away using satellite communication.
The achievement was made by a team led by Professor Rong Liu of the PLA General Hospital in Beijing. Using advanced robotic systems and satellite technology, the team performed complex liver surgeries on two patients in Beijing while controlling the procedures from Lhasa, Tibet. It is the first time in history that such long-distance surgeries have been completed using satellite networks.
“This success shows how technology can save lives even in places where doctors cannot physically reach,” Professor Liu said during a press briefing. “It is critical for battlefield and earthquake rescue operations where traditional medical access is impossible.”
Telesurgery is not a new concept, but fast, stable 5G networks have always enabled it. However, these networks only reach about 5,000 kilometers and rely on existing infrastructure. Satellite communication, in theory, offers global coverage. However, it often struggles with high latency, or signal delay, which can be dangerous during delicate surgeries.
The team faced delays of about 632 milliseconds while using the Apstar-6D satellite, which orbits 36,000 kilometers above Earth. Normally, such a delay would make precise robotic movements impossible. But Professor Liu’s team developed new technologies that allowed the robots to perform with incredible accuracy.
“We designed our system to predict and adjust for delays,” Liu explained. “We kept the robotic arm’s error within just 0.32 millimeters, which is remarkable given the distance and latency involved.”
The two patients, a 68-year-old man with liver cancer and a 56-year-old woman with hepatic hemangioma, underwent operations that lasted between 105 and 124 minutes. The team completed both surgeries with minimal blood loss around 20 milliliters each and no complications.
Even more impressive, both patients left the hospital within 24 hours, meeting the recovery standards of traditional in-person surgeries. “This was not just a technical test. These were real patients who needed care, and we are proud that we could help them,” Liu said.
This achievement pushes the boundaries of telemedicine far beyond previous limits. Earlier, a 2024 milestone saw a surgeon in Rome successfully operate on a patient in Beijing using 5G technology, but that procedure involved only 135 milliseconds of delay. The new satellite-based system has managed to handle nearly five times the latency, opening the door for even longer-distance medical interventions.
“This expands the reach of surgical robots from 5,000 kilometers to potentially 150,000 kilometers,” Liu added. “It means we can provide life-saving surgeries not only in remote villages but also in disaster zones and even during space missions in the future.”
China now plans to further test and validate the system before integrating it into its healthcare services. The hope is to make this technology available for regular use, especially in areas with poor medical access.
With climate change increasing the frequency of natural disasters and many parts of the world still lacking basic medical infrastructure, the ability to perform high-precision surgeries from anywhere could save countless lives.
Professor Liu is optimistic but cautious. “This is only the beginning. We need more testing and more clinical trials, but the potential is huge. It’s about breaking barriers and making sure no patient is ever too far from help.”
“This technology shows that geography no longer ties down the future of medicine,” Liu concluded. “We are entering a new era where distance doesn’t decide who gets care and who doesn’t.”
